How to get there?

Asia’s third demographic giant behind China and India, Indonesia is a little known emerging power. The largest archipelago in the world, its history is intrinsically linked to the ebb and flow of maritime trade links that had come to intertwine the economic and civilizational poles of India and China. While a historic point of confluence, Indonesia is also a young nation.

Independent since 1945, it has often reiterated its ambition to "lead by example" on the international scene. Indonesia is also seeking to become a maritime power in the 21st century, even if only to fill the shoes of mediator between great powers. A traditionally tolerant democratic country, which has recently been in the throes of rising nationalism in conjuncture with mounting identity politics. Indonesia can only be grasped in light of both its complex history and and fascinating diversity.

On the sidelines of the Europalia Art Festival, the following panel seeks to offer interested party a three-pronged discussion of Indonesia’s complex identities by hosting three panels, each favouring a different time-scale: (1) first a “longue durée” look at the historical buildpu of modern-day Indonesia; (2) second the modern eara emergence of a distinctively Indonesian form of National identity; and lastly (3) more contemporary diplomatic issues facing Indonesia in the midst of a rapidely changing East Asian region.